Anyone ever used a wheelchair for a dolly?

[Stephen Pruitt]

While we wait for the funds to buy a Matthews Roundy Round, I am wondering how well a wheelchair works for a dolly. Are they worthless? Or what?

Thanks.

Stephen

 

[Jason Beckwith]

I've done this quite a few times now.

Not the best, but workable, depending on the surface that you're rolling on.

SmoothCam and Warp Stabilizer are your friends.

 

[Jonathan Stevenson]

SmoothCam and Warp Stabilizer are your friends.

Word. This was an old pre-film school trick for me (but we didn't have smoothcam back then). Works good enough in a pinch, but only for faster moves. Slower dollies, it's not very effective.

 

[Scott Crawley]

Wheelchair- The original student's ghetto dolly

As they said, it can work depending upon the job.

 

[Eugene Martin]

oldest trick in the film school book....

 

[John Marchant]

Wheelchair, post trolley, office chair, suitcase on wheels, pickup truck bed - you name it, if it moves smoothly and interestingly, go for it. Test, and don't be embarrassed to improvise.

Out-there example: Not long ago I rigged a camera on static climbing rope with some pulley wheels and bits of model airplane. The price performance ratio for the shots achieved was phenomenal. (Plus it was fun to play with when the camera wasn't attached)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbmg40/3525303140/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbmg40/3573012240/in/photostream

 

[Jason Beckwith]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbmg40/3525303140/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbmg40/3573012240/in/photostream

Haha! Awesome!

The last zip line I sent a camera was no where near that technologically advanced!

 

[Peter Strietmann]

Wheel chairs are great. My steadicam has a mount for a wheel chair. It becomes about the surface your wheels are riding over. Smooth = smooth. Sometimes a wheel chair will fit in a space a dolly won't. Good for long leading shots no track gets in the shot.

 

[Anthony Vu]

Golf Cart + Steadicam = fucking genius.

 

[Jeff Zueger]

Yes, they work well or certain things, like hallway shots in hospitals. This was probably 4 years ago.

 

[Erich Ocean]

Better question: who hasn't used a wheel chair as a dolly?

 

[Steve Yager]

That's amazing!

 

[Marc Wielage]

This is kind of a Film School 101 deal. I think low-budget crews were using wheelchairs for makeshift dollies at least back in the 1960s. I know it was done in film school in the early 1970s for sure, since I did it. Realistically, it's not an ideal solution for its lack of precision (compared to a dolly track), but it can work.

 

[Peter Degerfeldt]

Wheel Chair

Wheel Chair

Wheel chairs can be used in many ways

 

[Stephen Pruitt]

Thanks guys. We've got several track dollies, but I was wanting something more mobile while I wait for the coin to buy a Matthews Roundy-Round.

Stephen

 

[Danai Chutinaton]

Wheel chairs are great fun as dollies. They also work great for client monitors

 

[Martin Weiss]

Standard film school practice, we had one as part of the camera department. Make sure to deflate the tires a bit for smoother rolling on rugged ground.

 

[Stephen Aldridge]

If you're doing a fast moving shot on a reasonable smooth surface a wheelchair is great. And, if my memory is right, they used at least some wheelchair dolly to film the basketball sequences in "Glory Road" and some of those shots were awesome.

 

[Meryem Ersoz]

an ingenious cable cam set-up, John...love it.

 

[John Marchant]

If there's geeking and inventing to be done, I'm there